Starlink-High-Performance-Dish
The Buckinghamshire Council in England has worked with global IT consultancy firm CGI to bring “ultra-fast rural broadband connectivity” to selected sites across the county by harnessing Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology from Starlink (SpaceX), along with a free-to-use public wireless (WiFi) service.
The hybrid solution, delivered in collaboration with Onwave, adopts a similar approach to the one that CGI took in Norfolk last year (here). The deployment has been designed to connect poorly-served village halls in remote rural areas with an ultrafast broadband link that offers “*high reliability, low latency, and secure connectivity.*”
The sites that have benefitted from this are said to include those where fibre-optic internet links, which typically require physical cables to be laid underground or overground, does not currently reach and may not be able to tackle in the near future (due to the high costs and civil engineering challenges involved with deployment).
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Martin Tett, Leader of the Council (Digital Portfolio Holder), said:
“Digital connectivity is central not only to the prosperity of Buckinghamshire as we look forward to the future, but also to the quality of life of most of our residents. CGI has partnered with us to develop a well-thought-out and innovative approach to supporting improved connectivity across our region, particularly in those communities that have previously proven hard to reach.”
Ian Dunbar, Senior VP of Consulting Services and Comms at CGI UK, said:
“This project supports Buckinghamshire Council’s programme for connecting rural communities, enhancing everyday life through digital connectivity. Having fast, stable, and reliable connectivity is necessary for Buckinghamshire to deliver key critical services to rural communities and CGI’s hybrid solution, using Low Earth Orbit satellite technology, significantly benefits industries located in remote areas – including agriculture and tourism.”
We should point out that Starlink’s broadband service can also be purchased and installed directly by individual businesses and homes – it’s not the cheapest of monthly rentals, but can still be a lifesaver for some of the remotest communities.